‘In Praise of Shadows’ by Jun’ichiro Tanizaki: A Reflection on Two Contemporary Artists, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Rebecca Salter, with Relation to Aiu Kitayama Yamazaki’s Contemporary Print Practice

According to the Japanese novelist Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, beauty exists in shadows because darkness inspires beholders. ‘We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows’ (Tanizaki, 2001, p.61). Two contemporary artists who engage in prints, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Rebecca Salter, are both influenced by Japanese culture and Western art education, and inspired by In Praise of Shadows (1933–34) written by Tanizaki. The works of these artists are affected by Japanese aesthetics that value shadows, which are associated with ambiguity, quietness, and nothingness. This essay reviews In Praise of Shadows from the premise of its aesthetics and the present perspective of its influence on other visual artists Sugimoto and Salter.